NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2801, 23 October 1924, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

[• r i\v prehistoric human skeletons standing upright in undisturbed strata at Los Angeles, have been discovered. Scientists beliede the skeletons date to Hie lasi lee Age, 1125,000 years ago.

Cases of hoxthorn poisoning have been frequent this year (says the Opunake Times). Some years the hoxthorn has more poison in its thorn prickles than other years. Perhaps it is* due to the variation in the season —the sap commences to run earlier. The first jag in the flesh' from prickles that get the first, sap gives out the strongest poison. A novel insurance was effected by the committee of: the Talura Jubilee Show, at Melbourne last week, when they insured against the weather. The amount was £2(K) and the premium £25. It was agreed that the company was to pay if rain between six in the morning and noon amounted to 10 points or more. Actually 14 points fell, so the committee gained fjjom the company what it lost in attendance. Twelve mice in a nest in a piano in the Kltlinm public school recently playcd-at chewing on the strings and hammers of Hie jnsl rmneul. The r.Milt was that the piano became mute. Some of the younger pupils became perturbed. “Who will Caleb the mice?” 'the teacher asked. Two hoys shot up their liands.They eaught the mice all right. With one grab one of the hoys captured the whole dozen.

Two small Imys ran away from their homes in Wellington early last eek and travelled to Auckland M Pain. They were apprehended at (ilahuhu on Saturday. Each was , ,|nipped -with a formidable howic knife. The youthful jruanls apparently found an untrammelled life lar from ideal, as lacking the guile of tin* professional mendicant, l-he.v found difficulty in obtaining food, and were feeling the pangs of liun--0,,,,, keenlv when taken into custody

“W'liv do they have man-traps like this on t lie road?" was the in - dignaiil inquiry made by two ladies recent arrivals from England. Ihe ladies evidently were not used to the ways of the diaiulayers in Ashburton, and while crossing a road ihey were so unthinking as to tread on the 'apparently firm, hut actually soil, tilling of flie drain (slates the Guardian). They very quickly sank up to their knees, and the excited confusion that followed brought lhem tile assistance of pas-sers-bv who rescued them from the quagmire. The, passage H* their place oLh abode was siow, and words were many. In the opinion of two people Ashburton as a resort has fallen below zero.

The following, illuminating conversation occurred in trout o! the. Victoria Hall, Invoicei gill, on the occasion of the Gowi mii'-Geiici'al's j civic farewell, between an obvious ' “way-back” who had .jam i". turned f*om a sojourn of years in the wilds beyond Tuatapere, ami a local borough official (states Hie local Times). •‘‘This is (lie Goveiaoi'-Gciicial’s civic farewell." The innocent one “Y\ in* is the Governor-General? Official: “Lord Jellieoe, of eoiirse." Innocent cue, becoming vastly excited: “Not that chap that was in the Battle of Jutland ?” Official, greatly amused: ••Yes, the same man.” liinoeeui one: "Great Scott! 1 didn't know lie bad left the Navy. 1 wonder it a bloke could get into this show.